The Lying Game
by monkeywithapen
Summary: It's been six months since Camryn died. But is she really dead? All the evidence leads to one thing: Camryn is alive. Or is this just some cruel joke to torment Alex? Sequel to Back From the Dead.
1. Summer

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Alex Rider. Mission Impossible Four does not exist. **

* * *

It was summer time again. Children were playing in the streets instead of sitting in the classroom. Families were packing and leaving for vacations. In Chelsea, London, it was a sunny and cheery day. Kids were riding their bicycles, eating ice cream, and swimming in their backyard pools. Every child and teenager seemed to be enjoying the summer break. But of course, there is always an exception or two.

Alex Rider lay on his bed, clutching a photograph and two plane tickets to his chest. He bit his lip to hold back a river of tears. Alex was miserable this summer. He had made plans to surprise his girlfriend, Camryn Albright, with a trip to France. But, unfortunately, Camryn was killed in Chechnya back in January.

Ever since, Alex hasn't been the same. He became even more quiet and secluded than he already was. He'd spent many nights crying himself to sleep. He'd spent his weekends moping in his loneliness. The boy had only just turned seventeen the month before, but he looked like a stressed university student. His face was thin and drawn. His serious brown eyes, which had seen too much, were always bloodshot from the lack of sleep. His blonde hair had lost its shine and was a tangled mess. Alex had really let himself go after he lost Camryn. He just didn't care anymore. This is what MI6 did to him.

If MI6 had never forced him to be a spy, Alex would have still been a normal teenager. He would have never found out that his uncle, Ian Rider, had been a spy. He would never have known who Yassen Gregorovich was. He would have never had to worry about his life being in immediate danger. He would never have met Camryn. He wouldn't have had to kill his old friend, Sabina Pleasure. He wouldn't have had to watch his girlfriend be killed right in front of him. He would have never become this miserable.

"Alex!" Jack Starbright called through the door. "I'm headed off to the store. Do you want anything?"

"No," Alex muttered.

The door opened. Jack stood frowning in the doorway. "Alex, will you please get out of bed and do something?!"

Alex sat up. "There's nothing to do."

"Sure there is. To start, you can clean yourself up. Next, you can finally return one of Tom's calls. He's called you _eight_ times in the past _five_ days, and you haven't returned a _single_ call."

"Sure, whatever," Alex sighed, getting up and heading for the bathroom.

"Camryn would hate to see you like this," Jack said as Alex passed her.

"What does it matter? Camryn's dead. She can't see me."

"Alex-"

"I don't feel like talking."

"You never feel like talking anymore!"

Alex ignored her and locked himself into the bathroom.

Jack sighed and leaned back against the doorframe. She was about ready to give up on the miserable boy. Alex wouldn't talk, he wouldn't eat, he wouldn't go out – he would just sit in his room and brood. The few friends he had stopped talking to him. Tom Harris was the only one who hadn't given up yet. Jack shook her head and started toward the front door.

* * *

Alex picked up his cell phone and dialed Tom's number as he finished drying his hair with a towel. The phone rang twice.

"It's about time you called me back!" Tom cried.

"Sorry," Alex muttered.

"It's alright. So, how have you been?"

"Same as always."

"Mission Impossible Four is out in the theater. I want to go see it. But of course, I can't go to watch a Tom Cruse movie without my best mate."

Alex smiled a little. "What time is the movie?"

"In about half an hour."

"Okay, I'll be over to pick you up in ten minutes."

"I'll be waiting."

Alex hung up the phone and pulled clothes out of his closet. He pulled on khaki shorts and a white and green striped Polo shirt. He grabbed his car keys and headed out the door. He backed out of the driveway and drove to Tom's to pick him up. Tom was waiting on his front steps by the time Alex arrived. Alex parked in Tom's driveway. Tom climbed into the car, and Alex sped off again.

"Is there anything else you want to do today?" Alex asked. "I haven't been out in a while."

"Well, after the movie, we can go get something to eat. You look like one of those starving kids in Africa."

"Oh, come on, I don't look that bad, do I?"

"No, I guess not. Anyway, we can go to the mall after eating."

"Why?"

"Oh, just a bit of sightseeing."

"Sightseeing?" Alex questioned, raising his eyebrow.

"What else do girls do during the summer besides going to the mall?"

"Uh…run around in bikinis."

"Oh, that too."

Alex smiled and shook his head. Tom always made him laugh. Then Alex remembered.

"Hey, Tom."

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to go to France for a week?"

"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. I've got two plane tickets."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Sure, I'd love to go."

"When we go to the beach, you can stare at as many girls as you want until your eyes are sore."

Tom laughed. "Oh, I'm going to love this."

* * *

"That was great!" Tom said as he and Alex walked out of the theater. "But the ending was so cliché. The hero saves the hot girl and makes out with her."

"It's so unrealistic," Alex muttered. "If it _were_ realistic, Camryn would still be alive."

"Alex-"

"But hey, it's just a movie, right?"

"Yeah. Just a movie."

"So, where to for lunch?" Alex asked as the two boys climbed into the car.

"I really don't care."

"How about we eat at the food court at the mall. Food and girls – there's no better combination."

"I like the way you think. To the mall, driver!"

Alex maneuvered out of the parking lot and headed toward the mall. As he drove, Tom turned on the radio and played with the station dial. He finally found a station and turned up the volume. "Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus blared through the speakers.

"_Hey, girl, you know you drive me crazy? One look puts the rhythm in my hand. Still I'll never understand why you hang around. I see what's going down. Cover up with make-up in the mirror. Tell yourself it's never going to happen again. You cry alone and then he swears he loves you._"

Alex started thinking about Camryn again.

"_Do you feel like a man when you push her around? Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground? Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end as your lies crumble down – a new life she has found._"

Then, Alex saw it happen again – Camryn kneeling on the floor beside her father – Adrian Vygotsky appearing around the corner – Alex calling out to Camryn – the gunshot – Camryn bleeding on the floor…

"Alex!" Tom cried, grabbing the steering wheel and directing the car away from the side of the road. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Sorry," Alex muttered. "I just spaced out."

"Don't do that again."

"I won't," Alex promised.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah. I'm fine." Within a few minutes, Alex pulled into the mall parking lot.

"I'm starving!" Tom said as he climbed out of the car.

"Are you kidding me? You just ate a huge bucket of popcorn, two chocolate bars, and a large soda. Not to mention, you ate half of my bucket."

"Whatever. Hey, I want to challenge you."

"You know I can't eat as much as you."

"Not that. Let's see who can get more waves from the ladies."

"Ha, there's no competition!" Alex huffed.

"I know, because I'm just so good looking."

"What?! Not you!"

"Who would look at you?!" Tom cried. "You look like an old man about to lose his job!"

"What?!"

"You're thin as a stick. You're ugly."

"No, I'm not!"

"Want to make a bet?"

"Sure as hell."

"Fine. Whoever loses has to do something absolutely mortifying while we're in France."

"Like what?"

"Kiss an old man."

"You're on."

"Good. We'll start after we eat lunch. God, I'm so hungry."

Alex rolled his eyes. The two boys headed into the mall and bought lunch. Alex took a look around as he ate his cheeseburger. He was determined to beat Tom. Once they finished, Tom started going over rules of the competition.

"Since when does babe-watching have rules?" Alex demanded.

"Hey, this _is_ a competition here. So anyway, we're going to go our separate ways. We'll meet back here in an hour."

"Okay."

"A giggle is five points. Blushing is another five points. A wave is ten points. A 'hello' or some other greeting is twenty points. A phone number, e-mail address, or screen name is fifty points. Deal?"

Alex went to shake Tom's hand but stopped. "You have to swear to be honest."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Fine."

The two boys spit on their palms and shook hands.

"Get ready to pucker up for grandpa," Tom sneered.

Alex just smiled sweetly. Tom was going to eat his words. Alex would make sure of that.


	2. Girls

The two boys stood up. Tom went right, and Alex went left. Alex found an unoccupied bench and sat down. He leaned back and relaxed, propping his arm up on the backrest. He put on a bored, spacey look and waited. He didn't wait long before two girls walked by. Alex looked up. The girls caught his gaze and giggled. Five points each. Alex flashed the girls a mischievous smile. One girl blushed and whispered to her friend. Another five points. When the girls looked back at him, Alex gave them a brief wave. Both girls waved back and continued giggling as they passed him. Not even three minutes, and Alex had racked up thirty-five points. Alex continued this routine for a while. Once he got up to a couple hundred points, he decided that he'd had enough of sitting. Alex stood up and walked around a bit until he found a new place outside the Hollister store – very strategic placement – and leaned casually against the railing. A tan, brown-haired girl in a miniskirt walked out of the store with a bag hanging from her arm. She gave Alex an interested glance.

"Hey, there," Alex said as she walked by.

The girl stopped. "Hey, yourself. You talking to me?"

"Sure."

The girl walked up to Alex. "If you're trying to hit on me, I'll warn you now: I'm very picky about my men."

Alex shrugged. "I just thought that little glance meant something."

"Maybe it did," the girl said, tilting her head flirtatiously.

"So, are you interested?"

"I could be."

Alex smiled and chuckled a bit. "I need a yes or a no."

"Hmm…I'll have to say yes."

"Cool. So, do I get a phone number or something?"

The girl raised a carefully penciled eyebrow. "You're a cocky one, aren't you?"

"Am I keeping you interested?"

"Yes – _very_ interested." The girl snuggled up to Alex and slipped a piece of paper into his pocket. "Promise to call me?"

"Of course."

The girl turned and began to leave, but then she looked back over her shoulder. "By the way, you're hot."

"That's what I've been told," Alex replied. He headed inside the Hollister store and started flipping through random racks of Polo shirts and jeans. All the while, he kept track of girls who had a reaction to him. A few of them were bold enough to approach him with a phone number. After a while, the same girls were giving him multiple, repeated reactions. Alex decided to move onto another place. On the way out, he bumped into another girl. She had dark, chestnut brown hair that fell just below her shoulders – just like Camryn. The girl yelped and stumbled backward. Alex's arm shot out and caught her before she fell.

"Thanks," the girl said as she steadied herself on her feet. "Nice catch, by the way."

"Sure, no problem. I'm really sorry about that."

"It's no big deal." The girl looked up at Alex.

Alex fell into the girl's deep, dark, blue eyes. She was incredibly beautiful. Alex hadn't seen such a beautiful girl since he laid eyes on Camryn.

"Um…are you okay?"

Alex snapped out of his trance. "Oh sorry. I didn't mean to stare. You just remind me of someone I used to know."

The girl blushed. Alex smiled at her reaction. She was so cute.

"So, you're okay?" Alex asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okee dokee."

The girl giggled.

_I can't believe I just said that,_ Alex thought in despair. "That was a little cheesy."

"Yeah, just a little, but it was cute."

Both were awkwardly silent for a while.

"So…"

"Can I have your phone number?" Alex blurted out. _Oh! Stupid, Alex! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"Oh, sure." The girl rummaged through her purse for paper and a pen. She quickly scribbled her number down and handed the paper to Alex. "So, I guess I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah."

The girl walked passed Alex into Hollister. Alex looked at the paper. The girl's name was Emily. Alex almost couldn't wait to dial her number into his cell phone.

About fifteen minutes later, Alex and Tom met at the food court again to compare scores.

"You first," Alex said.

"735," Tom gloated.

"No way! Me too!"

"Tiebreaker!" they both exclaimed in unison.

Tom looked around. He gestured to a girl who was walking towards them. "Whoever kisses her first wins."

"Okay."

"Get ready for grandpa, Rider."

"Up yours, Harris."

"Hi, there," the girl greeted. She had wavy blonde hair and brilliant green eyes. She wore a short jean miniskirt and a low-cut white tank top.

"Hey," Tom said. "Are you looking for someone?"

"Actually, yes." The girl turned to Alex. "I've been trying to find you. You left this at your table." She held out Alex's cell phone.

"Oh, thanks." Alex reached out for his phone, but the girl drew her hand back slightly.

"You're pretty cute. Why don't you kiss me first?"

Alex smiled. "Sure." Alex pulled the girl into his arms and kissed her slowly. He peeked over at Tom to make sure he was watching. Tom's mouth hung wide open like a clam on a plate. Alex closed his eyes and enjoyed the kiss. The girl was a great kisser – almost as good as Camryn. Alex let go once he felt that he had tortured Tom enough. The girl handed Alex his phone.

"There's a new number in it," she said as she walked away.

Alex turned up to Tom. "Hey, pucker up for grandpa."

* * *

Alex's cell phone vibrated in his pocket as he walked out of the airport with Tom two weeks later. Alex checked caller ID – it was Emily.

"Hey," Alex answered excitedly.

"Hey, Alex," Emily said. "What are you up to?"

"I just stepped out of the airport."

"Oh, I forgot you were on vacation. Where are you?"

"Montpellier, France."

"No way! I just got here yesterday!"

"That's crazy! We should meet up somewhere."

"That'd be great. Well, I'll call you later, and we'll talk about where to meet."

"Cool. I'll talk to you later then."

"Bye."

Alex hung up the phone and stuck it back into his pocket. He couldn't keep a grin off his face. This vacation was going to be great.

"So, are you ditching me for your new girlfriend?" Tom asked.

"Oh…uh…she's not really my girlfriend." Alex had just completely forgotten about Tom. "Well, you can come with us, wherever we're going."

Tom grinned. "I'm just kidding."

"No, really, you can come along if you want."

"Nah. I don't want to intrude on your date."

"But-"

"I'm really happy for you, Alex. You've been moping around for six months, and now you're finally getting out and seeing someone."

Then Alex suddenly flashed back to a conversation from earlier that year. Camryn had just found out that her ex-boyfriend had been dead for a month.

_"No one bothered to tell me. I was the last to know," Camryn had said._

_"It's okay; you can cry."_

_"He wouldn't want me to."_

"It's what Camryn would have wanted me to do," Alex said solemnly.

"I think she would be glad to know that you've moved on and fell in love with another girl."

"I'm not in love. I just like her…a lot…"

"Oh, don't give me that crap!" Tom cried as he and Alex climbed into a rented car. Alex turned the ignition and began driving toward the hotel. "You are _so_ in love, Alex. I can tell by the way you look at her."

Alex blushed.

"And I can't believe you haven't kissed her yet!"

"Well-" Alex started.

"You better have that girl kissed by the end of the week, mister."

Alex blushed hotter and brighter. Were his feelings _that_ obvious that even Tom noticed? Tom was the kind of guy who didn't notice anything except for a pretty girl in a bikini.


	3. Daniel

Alex sat in the hotel lobby, anxiously waiting. Every minute or two, he had to wipe the sweat off his palms. Why was he so nervous? Just then, Tom bounded happily into the lobby.

"Where are you off to?" Alex asked his friend.

"Just out. I'm going to go check out some French girls. Have fun with Emily."

Alex forced a nervous smile. "Thanks."

"Oh, hey, there she is," Tom said.

Alex stood up and whirled his head around. His eyes quickly scanned the lobby. "Really?! Where?!"

Tom laughed. "Gotcha."

"Tom!"

"Just relax."

Alex sighed. "I'm so nervous. I haven't been out with a girl since Camryn-"

"Hi, Alex!"

Alex whirled around. Emily flew into him and threw her arms around his neck. Alex hugged her back.

"Hey," Alex greeted. "So, where are we going?"

"I really don't know. Anywhere."

Tom headed toward the front door. Once he was behind Emily, he turned around and mouthed, _"Kiss her"_. Alex blushed deeply.

"Is something wrong?" Raelyn asked.

"Huh? Oh, no. Everything's fine."

"Okay. Let's just go for a walk. We can go to the beach later this afternoon."

"Sure."

Alex and Emily left the hotel and began wandering the streets of the seaside city of Montpellier. It was a great day. It was warm and sunny. The sky was clear and bright blue. A few white, puffy clouds floated gently in the sky. The cool sea breeze kept the temperature from climbing too high. Birds soared through the air and sang their joyous songs. The salty ocean air made Alex feel happy and free.

The streets were crowded with tourists mixed in with native French citizens. An abundance of shops, restaurants, and cafés lined the streets. As Alex sat down at one café with Emily, memories flooded back to him. A few summers ago when he was fourteen, he had come to Montpellier with his old friend, Sabina Pleasure, and her family. He remembered it as clearly as if it was just yesterday that he was sitting in this same café with Sabina. Alex pushed the memories aside. He hated thinking of Sabina. Ever since the incident in Los Angeles last December, Alex couldn't bare to think of his old friend.

Alex enjoyed spending the morning with Emily. He liked her a lot and hoped that he could have another chance at a relationship. He missed having someone to run to and to hold. He never thought that he would lose Camryn for forever.

Alex and Emily walked back to the hotel, slurping their milkshakes after lunch. Someone in the crowd caught Alex's his eye. It was a fair-haired boy about Alex's age, or maybe a year older. He was athletic and well built. He was tall and had an attractive face. He slightly resembled Alex; except his eyes were two deep pools of shining blue instead of serious brown. A strand of wooden beads hung around his neck.

"Alex…?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. Did you say something?"

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I just saw someone I thought I recognized," Alex replied, keeping the boy in the corner of his eye.

"So, I'll meet you later this afternoon?"

"Sure. Two o' clock?"

"Yeah. I'll see you then." Emily walked away, leaving Alex in front of the hotel. Once she turned the corner, Alex focused his full attention on the blue-eyed boy. He couldn't shake the feeling that he knew the boy. Alex merged into the crowd and followed the boy. He followed him up and down the streets, never taking his eyes off his target. It took a while for Alex to notice that the crowd had gradually became smaller. Most people were going different ways. This area was almost deserted. The boy took a right turn around the corner of a run-down bakery. Alex took a deep breath and turned the corner. Suddenly, an open hand lashed out toward Alex's throat. Any ordinary person would have been knocked out, but Alex was able to dodge the attack just in time. Over the past six months, he had secretly trained with a martial arts master from Japan. His extra training made his reactions as quick as lightning. Alex twisted his body around and sent a firm back kick into the boy's chest. The blue-eyed boy stumbled off balance and fell backward onto the sidewalk. He immediately sprang back up to his feet and punched Alex in the jaw. His attack had the speed and accuracy of a cobra. Alex didn't have time to comprehend or evade the punch. As he stumbled backward, the blue-eyed boy sent him falling to the ground with a sidekick. He grabbed a handful of Alex's T-shirt and hauled him up so that the two fair-haired boys were face to face.

"Why were you following me?" the blue-eyed boy demanded.

Alex glared at him.

"Answer me!" The boy carried a distinct, American accent.

"I don't understand," Alex grumbled in French.

"Don't give me that crap. Who are you?"

Alex kicked the boy hard in the shins. Then he lowered himself and elbowed him in the stomach. He grabbed the boy's throat and shoved him hard into the brick wall of the old bakery.

"Tell me who you are, and I'll tell you who I am."

"Forget it. I asked you first." The blue-eyed boy threw his fist into Alex's stomach, and then punched again for Alex's head. Alex grabbed the boy's fist before it made contact.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Alex said, giving in. He was an advanced martial artist, but this boy was even more advanced. He didn't want to get too beat up. He'd never be able to explain it to Emily. "I'm Alex Rider."

The boy frowned at him. Then he turned around to leave without saying a word. Alex grabbed the boy's arm and twisted it behind his back. The boy cried out in pain.

"Tell me who you are," Alex demanded.

"Let me go."

"Are you Daniel Walker?"

"What's it to you?"

"Are you Daniel Walker?" Alex asked again angrily.

"Yeah."

Alex released him. He took a step back as Daniel turned around.

"How do you know my name?" Daniel asked, setting a steady glare on Alex.

Alex didn't answer him. He just stared in disbelief. How could this boy be Daniel Walker? It was impossible.

"You're supposed to be dead…"

Daniel narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Last November, you died in a car accident. That's what Camryn told me."

"Camryn? Camryn Albright?"

"Yeah."

"How do you know her?" Daniel asked.

"She was my girlfriend. Why did you fake your death?"

"It's complicated."

"Try me."

"I dated Camryn a long time ago. Some of my enemies made her a target. I later broke up with her, hoping that I could protect her that way. When that didn't work, I had to fake my death."

"Who were these enemies of yours that you had to go to desperate measures to protect Camryn."

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Are you a spy or something?"

Daniel's face went pale. Alex didn't need a verbal answer. Just the boy's reaction was answer enough.

"I understand," Alex said.

"I doubt it. A spy's life is so lonely. Anyone who gets close to you is putting his or her life in danger. It's not a life someone my age should be living."

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"I know people younger who have had to deal with the same kind of life."

"Yeah? Who?"

"Camryn and myself."

"So you _are_ him."

"_Him?_"

"You're the great Alex Rider of MI6, aren't you? You're the reason I became a spy. You worked with the CIA on a mission in Skeleton Key. After that, the CIA wanted teenage spies as well. I was forced into the field. Then later, Camryn was forced to work." Daniel couldn't hide his scornful expression as he told his story.

"Being a spy wasn't my choice," Alex said, annoyed that Daniel blamed him. "My uncle was a spy. When he died, I was forced to take his place."

Daniel sighed. "How's Camryn been?" he asked, changing the subject.

_From one gloomy subject to another,_ Alex thought. He wasn't really sure how to tell him. He thought for a while, then decided there was no other way to say it.

"Camryn died back in January," Alex muttered.

"What?"

"She was killed in Chechnya."

Daniel gaped at Alex. Tears welled up in his eyes. "That's not possible."

"I'm sorry."


	4. Magnet For Trouble

Alex lay on his beach towel, soaking in the rays of the Mediterranean sun. The water from his last swim had already dried, but it left deposits of salt sticking to his skin. Emily sat beside him, putting sunscreen on herself.

"Ready to swim?" she asked.

"We just swam fifteen minutes ago," Alex laughed.

"I know. Come on, let's go."

Alex stood up and followed Emily into the warm Mediterranean Sea. He couldn't help noticing how great Emily looked in her white bikini. He smiled and shook his head as he stepped into the salty water.

"Hey, Alex, I'll race you to the rocks," Emily challenged. About thirty yards away to the left was a wall of rock about ten feet high.

"Sure. The loser buys ice cream."

The two immediately swam for the rocks. Alex pulled ahead quickly with ease. About five yards from the wall, Alex was suddenly jerked underwater. Something had caught his ankle and dragged him beneath the surface. It was a hand. He could feel the fingers gripping tighter as he fought. Fingernails dug into his skin as he kicked and flailed. Finally, Alex's foot made contact with a face. His head broke the surface just as he thought his lungs would explode. He gasped for air and swam over to the rock where Emily was waiting. She launched herself off the rock and threw her arms around Alex. Alex nearly went underwater again.

"What happened?! I saw you go under."

"I probably just got my leg caught on something."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. It's no big deal."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Maybe we should stay out of the water for a while."

"Want to go get ice cream?"

Emily thought about it, then smiled. "Sure, but you're paying."

* * *

Alex lay on his bed in the hotel room, listening to his iPod. He hadn't said a word since he came back. He stared expressionlessly at the ceiling. He and Emily just happened to be on vacation in the same city. He ran into Daniel Walker, who was presumed dead. Someone tried to drown him at the beach. Could this vacation get any weirder?

_Of course it can,_ Alex thought. The last time he was in Montpellier, he had seen Yassen Gregorovich, who had made an attempt on Edward Pleasure's life. Alex got tangled up in a mess with the pop-star-psychopath Damian Cray. Sabina had been taken hostage and nearly killed. Alex was nearly killed trying to save Sabina and stop Damian Cray. How would this vacation be any different? For all Alex knew, this vacation could be even worse than the last.

Alex was itching to investigate, but he had no idea where to start. Naturally, he wanted to know who tried to kill him and why. He didn't want to spoil his vacation, but his survival was more important than having a pleasant time in France.

Just then, Tom walked into the room and fell into an armchair. Alex sat up and turned off his iPod.

"Why are you so late?" Alex asked. "It's half past eleven."

"Got caught up," Tom replied without going into detail.

Alex frowned, trying to decide whether or not he should press for details. "Caught up with what? Or with who, I should say?" Alex raised his eyebrow suspiciously.

"Don't give me that look, Alex. I'm still a virgin."

Alex smiled and shook his head. "That's somewhat hard to believe. So, what were you doing?"

"That's none of your business," Tom retorted.

"Fine."

"So, how did your day with Emily go?"

"That's none of your business."

Tom sighed. "Okay, fair enough. I met this girl at a café this morning. She asked me to go dancing with her at a local nightclub. That's it."

"That's it?"

"You asked what I was doing. That's what I did. I went to a club with her. Now it's your turn to spill."

Alex shrugged. "Emily and I went for a walk, had lunch, then went to the beach."

"That's it?"

"You asked how my day with Emily went. That's what happened."

"Why is there a bruise on your face?"

"I got in a fight."

"With who?"

Alex paused. He wasn't sure if he should tell Tom the whole story about Daniel. He didn't want Tom to have a lousy vacation just because Alex couldn't keep himself out of trouble. "Just some guy."

"Okay… Why does your ankle look like my dog chewed on it?"

"I got it caught on something while I was swimming."

Tom frowned. "You don't have to lie to me, Alex. This is a spy thing, isn't it?"

Alex sighed. "Yeah. Okay, do you remember Camryn mentioning Daniel Walker?"

"Yeah. He's her ex-boyfriend, right? I think you told me that he died in a car accident."

"Yeah, that's him. I saw him today."

"But he's dead."

"That's what I thought. He told me that he had faked his death in order to save Camryn from some people who were after him."

"Don't tell me he's a spy too."

"He claims he is."

Tom slumped down in his chair. "What's with all these kid spies all of a sudden? What's the big deal?"

Alex shrugged. "I wish I knew. Well, anyway, I got into a little fight with him before I got any information out of him."

"What about your ankle?"

"Someone pulled me under and tried to drown me while I was swimming."

"You're like a magnet for trouble."

"It's a spy's life."

"So, what are you going to do?"

"I'm not sure. I want to investigate, but I don't know where to start. Besides, if Emily starts asking questions, I don't know how I'm going to keep the truth from her. I mean, Sabina found out, you found out. How is Emily going to be any different?"

"That's true," Tom muttered.

"I'm not exactly sure of what I'm going to do yet, but I'll figure something out."

* * *

Mr. Hughes sat behind his desk, carefully eying the woman before him. Her name was Eva. She was slim with dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark complexion. She was in her mid to late twenties. She stood stiffly at attention. Her fear was evident.

"Is he dead?" Mr. Hughes asked, already knowing the answer.

"No, sir," Eva replied shakily. "I'm sorry. I won't fail you again, sir."

"Very well. You may leave."

As soon as Eva turned around to leave, Mr. Hughes pulled a gun from his desk drawer, unlocked it, and fired. A bullet spiraled into the back of Eva's head, and the woman slumped to the floor. Mr. Hughes put down the gun and sat back in his chair. He stared down at the file on his desk. A satellite photograph lay on his desk beside a profile. It portrayed a fair-haired boy in his late teens. He was tall and good-looking. His serious brown eyes had a forlorn look in them as if he were very deep in thought. He was five feet and ten inches tall, and he weighed 163 pounds. He was seventeen and had graduated from Brookland in May. He was a spy. He worked for MI6.

Mr. Hughes smiled to himself, imagining a bleeding hole in the middle of the boy's forehead.


	5. Vacation Gone Wrong

"I'm sorry, I can't," Emily said. "I promised to go shopping with my mum today."

"It's alright," Alex said. "It's no problem. Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"Actually, I am. I'm spending the entire day with my parents and my brother. How about Tuesday? We'll go to the beach or something."

"Sure. Sounds great. I'll talk to you later then."

"Bye."

Alex hung up and changed into a blue T-shirt and gray cargo shorts. Then he sat back down on the bed and waited for Tom to come out of the bathroom. About ten minutes later, Tom stepped out.

"No girlfriend time today?"

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Yeah, sure. And you're not my best mate."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Emily's busy today and tomorrow. So, I really don't have any plans. Do you?"

"Nope. Hey, you said that while we're in France, you'd take me to the beach for some sightseeing."

"Oh, yeah. And you still have to kiss an old man."

Tom blushed. "I can't believe you're really going to make me do it."

"So, are we headed off to the beach?"

"Sure."

Alex and Tom threw their swimsuits and towels into a backpack and headed out of the hotel. They took a short, fifteen-minute walk to the beach. Tom let out a long whistle.

"Wow, what a sight," he said.

Alex shook his head as he laid his towel in the sand, and then lay on top of it. He closed his eyes and relaxed, soaking in the Mediterranean sun, listening to Tom make comments about girls who passed by.

"Tom, keep your pervy thoughts to yourself," Alex said.

"No one told you to listen."

_I wish Camryn were here instead of Tom,_ Alex thought. He began imagining what this vacation would be like with Camryn beside him instead of a pervy seventeen-year-old boy. He pictured it all in his head: Camryn lying beside him in her little bikini with her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder – no cares, no worries. Alex was so deep in his daydream that he swore he could smell Camryn's signature cotton candy scent. Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted by Tom.

"Hey, Alex, isn't that Emily?"

Alex opened his eyes and sat up. He looked in the direction Tom was pointing. And there she was. Emily was walking down the beach in a tank top and jean miniskirt. She had her arm linked with another boy's arm. The boy was brown-haired and blue-eyed, just like Emily.

"Well, doesn't that look a little fishy," Tom commented.

"That's probably her brother," Alex said.

"I doubt it. That little whore…"

"Tom!"

"What? It looks really bad. I'm just looking out for you, Alex."

"Well, I don't need you to look out for me. I don't need _anyone_ to look out for me. I can take care of myself just fine."

"Are you sure? Even after what happened to Camryn?"

"Don't talk about Camryn," Alex warned.

"Ever since Camryn died, you haven't been yourself. You haven't been the same, Alex."

"Tom-"

"Think about it. If Jack and I hadn't been looking out for you, you would have probably killed yourself out of misery. What would Camryn have thought if she saw you like that?"

"Shut up!" Alex shouted angrily. "I told you not to talk about Camryn!"

Alex couldn't help being edgy whenever Camryn was mentioned. Sometimes, it hurt him just to think about her.

"Why not?! Aren't you over her yet?!"

"No. I've tried, but I can't. I still love Camryn."

"You're pathetic. While you were dating her, she was all you could think about. Now she's dead, and she's _still_ all you can think about! What's wrong with you?! I really don't know what she saw in you."

"Pathetic?! Look at you! You've never gotten past a first date!"

"Just because you've had _one_ relationship doesn't mean you're an expert!"

"You've never had a relationship, so you shouldn't be talking at all!" Alex stood up and angrily walked away. He walked all the way back to the hotel and slammed the door of the room. He bolted the door and threw himself face down on the bed. He jammed his face in the pillow. He wanted to scream. He was so angry. Tom had no right to say what he did. Alex screamed at the top of his lungs. He kept screaming until his throat was sore and he was sure that he had lost his voice. But once he finished screaming, he started crying.

"Camryn, why did you leave me?" Alex asked between sobs to no one in particular. Then he started saying her name over and over, as if it were a chant to make her come back. He was shaking from anger and despair. He desperately wanted Camryn back. He was angry with Tom for be so insensitive. He was angry with himself. He couldn't save Camryn. He had told her that he would do anything and everything he had to just to keep her with him. But then, when Adrian Vygotsky held the gun to Camryn's head, Alex couldn't do anything – he just stood there and looked on in horror. Maybe Tom was right. Maybe Alex really was pathetic – he felt pathetic.

Suddenly, Alex realized that he was destined to be lonely. He was a spy. He had an overflowing abundance of enemies. Anyone close to him would be hurt. Alex had always wondered why his uncle, Ian Rider, never had a girlfriend. He'd never seen his uncle with a woman. In fact, he had never seen Ian Rider with any friends. Ian Rider never went out. When he wasn't working, he read books, listened to classical music, drank wine alone, and occasionally took Alex out for adventures. Of course, the adventures were just a part of Alex's training. Alex always wondered if Ian Rider was lonely. He had never bothered to ask. It was probably safe to assume that Ian Rider was a lonely man. He knew well that anyone close to him would be hurt because of his job.

Alex began thinking of the people who could possible be hurt by his life as a spy. First of all, there was Jack. She was Alex's legal guardian. She'd always been like an older sister to Alex. There was – although Alex didn't want to admit it at the moment –Tom. Tom had been Alex's best friend for years. Then there was Emily. Alex liked Emily a lot.

_I probably should stop seeing her,_ Alex thought. But he didn't want to stop seeing Emily. He desperately wanted someone to love. Losing Camryn took such a huge toll on his heart. Then Alex began thinking that he'd never be able to get over Camryn. She was his first love, and Alex was sure that she was his soul mate. Being around Emily was nice, but being around Camryn just felt right.

Suddenly, the door opened. Alex pushed his thoughts aside and looked up. The door was wide open, but there was no one in the doorway. Alex stood up and slowly walked toward the door. There was a flash of black. A hand went over Alex's mouth. The door shut. Alex bit the hand over his mouth. There was a scream of pain. Then there was the click of a gun. Everything was a blur to Alex. He finally stopped to let his vision focus when he heard the gun click.

"Daisuke? What are you doing here?"

Daisuke slapped Alex across the face. "I'll be asking the questions."

"I thought you were supposed to be executed for treason."

"Yeah, I escaped."

"How?"

"I've got friends in low places."

Alex sneered. "Yeah, someone like you would."

Daisuke slapped Alex again. "Where is Camryn?" he demanded.

"You moron. Haven't you heard? She's dead."

"Don't lie to me. I know she's alive."

"I saw her die," Alex said firmly. "What do you want with her anyway?"

"I'm going to find her, and I'm going to kill her."

"Too bad – Adrian Vygotsky beat you to it."

Daisuke punched Alex hard in the jaw and slammed him against the wall. He dug the gun into Alex's neck. "Tell me where Camryn is, or I'll kill you."

"She's dead."

"Where is she? You can't protect her forever."

"I know I can't. That's why she's dead!"

"I don't believe that. I _won't_ believe it."

"That sucks for you, because that's the truth."

Daisuke put the gun away, frustrated. "I'll find a way to get my answer out of you. Just you wait." Then he left as quickly as he had come.

Alex ran Daisuke's words through his head.

_"Where is Camryn? Don't lie to me. I know she's a live."_

Could she possibly be alive? No, it was impossible. Alex saw her die. Adrian Vygotsky shot her at point blank. But then again, Alex had seen Yassen Gregorovich died, but then he appeared again out of nowhere. A spark of hope lit in Alex's heart. Maybe Camryn _was_ alive.

But then, if she was live, did she fake her death? If so, why?

_"I later broke up with her, hoping that I could protect her that way. When that didn't work, I had to fake my death,"_ Daniel had said.

All of a sudden, it made sense. Camryn had tried to keep Alex from coming to Russia to save her. When that failed, she faked her death so she could protect him. Then Alex decided he had to find Camryn.

Just then, Alex's cell phone rang. It was Jack.

"Hello, Jack," Alex answered. "How are you?"

"Okay, I guess. You need to come home as soon as possible."

"What? Why? This is only my second day here."

"Come home as soon as possible. There's something we need to talk about."

"What is it?"

"Just come back, please," Jack pleaded. She sounded scared.

Alex sighed. "Alright." He hung up and called MI6.

"Royal & General Bank, how may I direct your call?"

"This is Rider. I need Mr. Blunt or Mrs. Jones."

"Just a moment."

A minute later, "Mrs. Jones."

"Mrs. Jones, it's Alex. I need to get home as soon as possible."

"Why? What's the problem?"

"Jack called me, and she wants me to come home as soon as possible. She sounded scared."

"I'll send a helicopter for you. We'll pick you up at midnight."

"Thanks." Alex hung up and began packing his things.


	6. Interrogation

About a few hours later, Tom came back to the hotel room.

"What's all the packing up for?" Tom asked.

"We have to go back to Chelsea."

"Now?"

"Yes, now."

"Why? We've only been here for two days."

"I know, but Jack needs me home. She made it sound urgent."

Tom raised an eyebrow. "Did she say why?"

"No. I asked, but she just told me to come home."

Tom narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Alex, why do you have another bruise on your face? What's going on?"

Alex wasn't sure about how to tell Tom about Daisuke. He didn't want his best friend sucked into his messy spy life.

"That's not important," Alex said evasively. "We're leaving at midnight."

Tom didn't move. He just stood there and watched Alex rush around to pack up his things.

"Alex, I'm sorry for what I said to you."

"Cool."

"I really shouldn't have said that. That was wrong of me."

"Yeah, sure."

"Are you listening to me?! I'm trying to apologize!"

"You're forgiven."

"Really?"

"Tom! Just shut up and start packing!"

"What's the rush? It's only four o' clock. We still have eight hours. Just relax."

"Relax?! Jack could be in trouble."

"Alex-"

"Tom, you know I have a lot of enemies because I'm a spy. Anyone close to me is in danger. Jack is in danger. You're in danger. Emily is in danger. I can't relax. I could never forgive myself if Jack was hurt."

"But it wouldn't be your fault."

"I still wouldn't be able to forgive myself."

Tom sighed and began packing up his belongings. At 5:30, the boys finished packing and had checked their belongings three times.

"I'm going to get something to eat," Tom said. "Do you want anything?"

"No, but I'll come with you anyway."

The two boys left the hotel and walked a few streets to a restaurant. Alex spotted Emily sitting there with the boy from earlier and an older man and woman.

"Oh, that's her brother, by the way," Tom said.

"How did you find out? You didn't confront her, did you?"

"I did."

"Why?!"

Tom shrugged. "Just looking out for you."

Emily spotted Alex and got up from her table. She walked up to him smiling. "Hey, Alex!"

Alex forced a smile. "Hey, Emily."

"Why don't you come over and meet my family. Maybe you can come with us tomorrow."

"Actually, I have to leave."

"Why? When?"

"My sister needs me home," Alex said. "I'm leaving tonight."

Emily frowned. "I was hoping to spend some more time with you."

"Yeah, me too."

"Will you at least meet my family?"

"Sure." Alex followed Emily back to her table.

"This is Alex," Emily said, introducing Alex.

Alex gave a shy smile. Meeting new people always made him nervous.

"I'm Nick," Emily's brother said, extending his hand. Alex shook it politely.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, Alex," Emily's mother said. "Emily talks about you all the time. Oh, by the way, I'm Martha."

Alex shook her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Emily's father stared at Alex with suspicion. Alex could feel his insides shuttering. He remembered Ryan Albright hadn't been too friendly with him at first.

"Daddy…" Emily prodded.

"How do you know my daughter?" the man asked.

"Uh…I met her at the mall," Alex said nervously.

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen."

"Emily, he's too old for you."

"Daddy!"

"Why have you been seeing my daughter? You're two years older than her."

Alex felt his face glow bright red. God, this man was even worse than Ryan Albright. "Uh…er…um…" Alex had no idea what to say. He didn't know that Emily was only fifteen. "Uh…she's a nice girl…? And she has an interesting personality."

_He's not going to believe that crap,_ Alex thought.

Emily's father contemplated Alex's answer. Then he asked his final question. "Are you a virgin?"

Alex's face grew so hot that he thought his head would explode. "Yes."

"Okay. I'm Malcolm." He held out his hand. Alex shook it, his face still glowing as bright as a tomato. That was the _most_ awkward moment of his life. Alex was just glad that he survived the interrogation.

* * *

Jack was waiting in the living room when Alex came home from dropping Tom off. Alex left his luggage by the door and sat across from Jack.

"What's going on, Jack?" Alex asked.

"I found this on the driveway last night," Jack answered, pulling a small, silver object from her pocket and handing it to Alex.

Alex took it in his hands and examined it. It was a ring – a thin, silver band. There was something engraved into it. Alex squinted his eyes to read it. _Camryn & Alex_. There was dried blood crusted on the band. Alex suddenly felt sick. The ring had been Alex's Christmas gift to Camryn. What was it doing on his driveway? Someone was probably playing a cruel joke on him. But why? And who?

"I also got a phone call earlier yesterday afternoon. Someone was asking for you."

"Who?"

"I don't know. He just said that he needed to see you about something. He said it was something about Camryn."

Another spark of hope struck Alex.

"What's going on, Alex? This is scaring me."

"I don't know, but I'll find out."

* * *

"I don't want any interference," Daisuke said.

"But he's already contacted the boy's guardian," Mr. Hughes replied.

"Then kill him."

"He's got nothing to do with this. He as absolutely no part in our plan."

"I said, kill him. Kill the other boy while you're at it."

"The other boy is not a part of our plan. He's not part of the deal we made. If you want him dead, either you kill him yourself, or you pay me more to kill him."

Daisuke contemplated. "Fine. I'll give you another fifty grand to kill him."

"It's a deal." The two men shook hands on the deal. Mr. Hughes walked out of the Japanese rogue's office.

* * *

When the phone rang, Alex dove for it. "Hello?"

"Alex," the voice on the other end said. It was American. It was familiar.

"Daniel?"

"Just call me Dan."

"Okay."

"Anyway, we need to talk."

"Sure, go ahead."

"No, I mean in person. It's urgent. It's about Camryn."

Alex's heart started pounding. _She's alive,_ he thought. _She has to be._

"There's a bank on Liverpool Street," Dan said. "Meet me there as soon as you can."

"I'll be there in about fifteen minutes."

"Good."

Alex hung up. "Jack, I need to go somewhere. I'll be back as soon as I can." Alex headed for the door.

"Alex," Jack called. "Don't leave me alone here."

Alex smiled at her reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine. Don't worry about it."

"But-"

"Look. I'll call MI6 to send someone over here to look after you. I'll only be gone for about an hour at the most anyway."

Jack sighed in wordless agreement.

Alex called the MI6 headquarters and asked to speak to Mrs. Jones. "Mrs. Jones, it's Alex. I have a feeling that someone might be watching me. Could you send someone over to my house to look after Jack? I need to go meet someone."

"Sure. I'll get right on that."

"Thank you."

"He'll be over in about five minutes."

Alex hung up, and exactly five minutes later, the doorbell rang. Alex answered it. A somewhat unpleasant surprise was standing on his doorstep.

"Wolf? What are you doing here?"

"Cub? Mrs. Jones sent me to baby-sit _you_?!"


	7. Gadgets and Physics

Alex frowned. "I'm not the one who needs baby-sitting. I want you to look after Jack while I'm away."

"Who's Jack? God, please don't tell me he's your dog or something."

"Actually, Jack is a _she_, and she's my guardian."

"If she looks after you then why do I have to look after her?"

"Because something weird is going on, and I don't want her to get hurt."

Wolf rolled his eyes. "This is ridiculous."

"Alex?" Jack called as she nervously walked to the door.

Alex turned around and smiled warmly at her. "It's okay, Jack. You'll be fine. I'll be back as soon as I can okay?"

"Okay."

"Just take care of her, okay?" Alex said as he walked past Wolf out the door. He climbed into his car and drove to Liverpool Street. He parked his car in front of the bank and got out. He looked at his watch – he was five minutes early. He leaned back against the car and waited. The next time he checked his watch, ten minutes had passed. Where was Dan? Alex decided to wait another five minutes before doing anything, but then he spotted something lying on the pavement about ten feet away. Alex walked over and picked it up. It was a strand of wooden beads. Alex recognized it. It belonged to the blue-eyed American. About half the beads had fallen off. Alex shoved the remains of the necklace into his pocket and looked around for any more clues. About three feet away, he spotted one of the beads. About four feet from there was another bead. Alex raised his eyebrow, curious. He began following the trail of beads on the ground. Luckily, the streets weren't too crowded at the time. Alex felt stupid following a trail of beads. It was something a four-year-old kid would do. A few yards down the street, the beads stopped at an alley. That's where a trail of blood started. It started out small – just a few drops. The number of drops grew. Soon enough, Alex was deep in the shady alley, walking along a small stream of blood. The smell of rotting flesh reached Alex's nose. Alex's heart began pounding. What had happened? Was Dan okay? It seemed impossible for Alex to believe that anyone could survive after losing that much blood. The trail of blood ended in a large, scarlet pool. The sickening, copper smell filled Alex's nostrils. Alex looked up, and then screamed. He was going to be sick. He wanted to look away, but he was fixated on the dead body nailed to a wooden board propped up against the wall. The man's face had been peeled off as well. Thankfully, it wasn't Dan, but still…who would have the malice to do such a thing?

A hand clamped over Alex's mouth and pulled him through a door. Alex immediately panicked and tried to fight off the assailant. Instead, he just flailed frantically.

"Alex, stop it," Dan muttered.

Hearing Dan's voice, Alex calmed down. "What happened? Who was that man?"

"His name was Tim Burton. He worked for the CIA."

Alex's eyes widened. Tim Burton – Tubs as Alex knew him – had been in Chechnya with Alex when Camryn died. "How do you know?"

"I used to work with him and Ryan Albright. I saw him walking by your house a few days ago. I followed him to a payphone yesterday. He called your house and asked to speak to you about Camryn."

Alex remembered what Jack had said about the phone call.

"Last night, Tim Burton came by your house again. It was late. He walked up to your front door. He looked like he was going to ring the doorbell but didn't. He just decided to leave. He reached the end of your driveway and an SUV came by and hit him."

"Did you see the driver? What kind of SUV was it?"

"It was a black Hummer. The driver got out and picked up Tim Burton's body and threw him in the back. I couldn't see the driver. It was too dark."

Alex mused. This might explain the blood on the ring. If so, why did Tubs have it? And how could _anyone_ get his hands on that ring? Camryn had died wearing it and the lab had been blown up. Alex tried to put the new pieces together. Tubs wanted to talk to him about Camryn. He had been killed by someone driving a black Hummer. Who did he know who drove a black Hummer? Akira Aramaki. Alex shook his head. That couldn't be right. Akira didn't have a motive. Alex leaned back against the wall and ran his hands through his blonde hair.

"This doesn't make any sense," he grumbled.

"I don't know what's going on either, but you need to be careful," Dan said. "I think someone is trying to hurt you by making you think that Camryn's alive. Can you think of anyone who would do that?"

The answer came to Alex immediately. "Daisuke Takahashi."

Dan's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed. "That bastard…"

"Do you know him?"

"Of course. He started stalking Camryn after the mission in Los Angeles. I told him that if I ever caught him trailing Camryn again, I'd castrate him. God, I'm going to kill him."

"You'll have to beat me to it first," Alex said.

Dan grinned and shook his head. "I will."

"Alright, move the body before someone finds it," a voice said from deeper inside the building.

Alex and Dan shot each other worried looks. Dan grabbed the doorknob and twisted. It didn't move. It was locked. Footsteps approached the two boys.

"This is what I get for coming unarmed," Dan muttered.

Fortunately, Alex hadn't come unarmed. He was careful – just like his uncle taught him to be. He had shoved his leftover gadgets from Chechnya into his pocket before he left. Alex shoved a stick of the grape-flavored Bubble-O-7 into his mouth and chewed it for thirty seconds. He pulled the sticky wad out of his mouth and worked into the keyhole of the door. The two boys waiting anxiously until the lock finally burst.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

Alex whirled around. A bulky, muscular man of about thirty stood about fifteen feet away with a gun poised and ready to fire. Alex's eyes darted around for something to take cover behind. About three feet away was a metal table. Dan's eyes followed Alex's to the table. Alex's right hand was still in his pocket.

"Put your hands up where I can see them," the man ordered.

Dan obeyed immediately. Alex took his time. He unplugged the earphones from his iPod. He counted down in his head.

_5…4…3…2…_

"Down!" Alex shouted. He threw the iPod grenade and dove beneath the metal table with Dan. Alex could feel the power and the heat of the explosion.

"Let's go," Dan shouted over the roaring fire. He ran to the door and yanked it open. The two boys ran out into the open air and raced out of the alleyway. Tires screeched on the asphalt behind them as they ran down the street. Dan swore under his breath when he looked back. Alex pulled the football keychain from his pocket and tore the plastic ball off the chain. He dropped it onto the road. The little black and white ball exploded, sending smoke curling in every direction. The boys turned right at the corner. Dan ran up to a black Scion TC and grabbed the keys, which were hidden on top of the front tire. He opened the door of a Scion and climbed in. Alex climbed into the passenger side. Dan floored the accelerator and tore off down the street. Soon enough, a black Hummer was on their tail. The little Scion lurched violently when the Hummer rear-ended it.

"Damnit, why do you have to drive such a tiny car?!" Alex complained.

Dan took a sharp left turn around the corner. Alex's head slammed into the window. The Hummer had to slow down at the turn so that it wouldn't tip over. That bought Dan enough time to take another right turn and disappear.

"That's why," Dan said. "Looks like someone didn't pay attention in physics."

Alex frowned. "Whatever," he mumbled, rubbing the sore spot on the side of his head.


	8. Failure

A few days had passed. It was Saturday now. Alex was driving away from the airport. Emily sat beside him in the passenger seat. Alex felt a little better that Emily was back, but since Monday, he hadn't gotten anything accomplished. He hadn't found any more pieces to this ridiculous puzzle.

"So, is your sister okay?" Emily asked.

Alex thought for a moment, then remembered what he had told Emily about his sudden leave. "Yeah, she's fine. Thanks for asking."

"What was going on?"

"Oh, someone broke into our house, and my sister was just scared."

"Well, I'm glad everything's okay now."

The two were silent for a while. Then Emily broke the silence.

"Alex, I want to know about you. You don't talk about yourself too much. I want to know more about you."

Awkwardness settled into the car. Alex just shrugged it off. "There's not much to know."

"Really?"

"I'm a pretty boring guy. That's why my first girlfriend broke up with me."

"That's not what your friend, Tom, told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me about Camryn."

Alex's heart began racing. "What did he tell you about her?"

"He told me that she was kidnapped and taken to Russia. He told me that she was killed six months ago."

Alex's heart stopped. His blood ran cold. He jerked the steering wheel hard to the right and stopped the car next to the sidewalk. His heart was slamming inside his throat. He was nearly gasping for breath. He was so close to hyperventilation. He gripped the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had gone white. His face had gone just as white as his knuckles. He was shaking uncontrollably.

"Alex, are you okay?" Emily asked. She laid her hand on Alex's shoulder.

"Get out," Alex ordered quietly.

"Alex-"

"Emily, get out of the car."

"But-"

Alex turned his steely gaze to her. "Don't make me tell you again."

Emily sighed sadly. She planted a kiss on Alex's cheek and climbed out of the car. Once she closed the door, Alex sped off.

* * *

Alex opened the door to Tom's bedroom. Tom was sitting on the bed reading a sports magazine. He stood up when he saw Alex come in.

"Hey, Alex, are you-"

Tom didn't get the chance to finish his question. Alex punched him in the jaw as hard as he could.

"Why did you tell Emily about Camryn?" Alex demanded. "You had no right to do that."

"She asked me if you had any past relationships. So I told her that you dated Camryn for a little over a year. She asked me how it ended, and I told her about Russia."

"What exactly did you tell her?"

"I just said that Camryn was kidnapped, taken to Russia, and then killed."

Alex pulled his face. "You shouldn't have told her that."

"She's going to find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, I was hoping on later."

"Look, I'm just trying to help you," Tom insisted.

"I know, but you're making things worse."

Tom looked as if he had been slapped. Then he sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I am making things worse for you. It's none of my business."

"Thanks for trying."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Tom asked.

"I don't know. I need to apologize to Emily."

"For what?"

"I freaked out in the car when she mentioned Camryn."

"You didn't leave her at the side of the road, did you?"

"I did…" Alex said sheepishly.

"Idiot! That's a great way to impress a girl!"

"It doesn't matter. I have to stop seeing her anyway."

* * *

Alex waited for Emily on the walkway beneath Albert Bridge. He had rehearsed over and over for the past twenty-four hours what he would say to her. Then he began to wonder if Emily would show up at all. If she didn't, he wouldn't blame her. It would be easier for both of them. Unfortunately though, Emily came at three o' clock – just like they had planned. Alex forced himself to smile at her. Emily threw her arms around Alex and held him tightly.

"Alex, I'm so sorry about yesterday."

"You shouldn't be apologizing to me, Emily."

"I shouldn't have mentioned your ex-girlfriend. I didn't know you were still sensitive about it."

"Exactly."

Emily looked up at Alex, confused.

"You didn't know," Alex explained, "so you shouldn't be sorry. I should be apologizing to you. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. I can't help being on edge when Camryn is mentioned. I still can't come to grips with the fact that I lost her that way."

"I'm sorry…" Emily murmured, resting her head on Alex's shoulder.

Alex drew in a deep breath and held it in his lungs. He had to say it, but he didn't want to. He so desperately wanted a second chance at love. _Say it, Alex, just tell her,_ he told himself. He opened his mouth but no words came out. He took in another deep breath.

"That's why we can't be together," Alex finally said, each word catching his throat.

"But, Alex, we're not even dating yet. If you give us a chance-"

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"It's not fair to you that I still think about Camryn – a lot. I don't know if I'm ever going to get over her. She was my first love. Then she died so suddenly. I didn't have the chance to tell her good-bye."

"Don't you want to at least try before you say 'no'?"

Alex sighed. "I do, but I think it'll be easier for both of us if we don't start a relationship."

Emily let go of Alex and began walking away. Alex took her hand and embraced her one more time.

"I'm sorry, Emily," Alex whispered into her ear.

"So am I."

Alex pulled together all the courage he had and finally kissed Emily. Once he let go, she walked away without looking back. Emily was Alex's third chance at a relationship. She was also his third failure.

"Trying is the first step toward failing," Alex muttered, as he headed home.


	9. Kate Cameron

Kate Cameron lay under the bridge on the south end of Albert Bridge. She watched the blonde-haired, brown-eyed boy on the other side of the River Thames through a sniper scope. She watched as he kissed the pretty girl named Emily. She watched Emily walk away with tears in her eyes. Then the fair-haired Alex turned and went his own way. Kate hated watching them. It was so depressing that it was pathetic. But she didn't have a choice. It was her job to keep an eye on Alex.

Kate's cell phone rang. "Cameron," she answered.

"Kate, we need you back at base as soon as possible."

"Sure. I'll be there."

Kate hung up. She tucked the scope back into her pocket and stood up. She took one last look at the fair-haired boy walking away from Albert Bridge looking depressed. She shook her head.

"Stupid," she muttered to herself. She mounted her bicycle and pedaled away into the hot afternoon.

* * *

Kate got off the helicopter and walked passed two armed guards through double glass doors. She went into the locker room and changed out of her field clothes into an office-acceptable outfit. She put on black slacks and a deep, maroon button-up shirt. She took off her sneakers and pulled on a pair of black high heels. She hated wearing heels, but she didn't have a choice. She had to look professional.

"Damn office dress code," she grumbled to herself.

Kate stood up and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked older than she really was. Her long, auburn hair was cut in layers. Her teal eyes were bright but serious. Her calmly composed face and attitude gave the impression that she was maybe twenty-two or twenty-three. But in reality, she was only a teenager. As far as anyone in the office knew, she was twenty-one, except for her boss. Only he knew that she was just a teenager.

Just then, the locker room door opened. A thin woman with brown hair and brown eyes walked in. Her name was Andrea Harrington. She was in her late twenties, but she looked like she was in her mid-thirties. She looked up and smiled at Kate.

"Done with your field shift?" Andrea asked.

Kate nodded. "Now I get to spend another six hours in the office. Isn't that a pleasure?"

Andrea laughed. "Haven't you talked to Ryan about an eight-hour shift? You're too young to be working twelve hours a day. You're not going to look twenty-one for long if you keep working like this."

"I know, but Ryan _insists_ that I work twelve hours. He says it's 'in the best interest of the agency.'"

"He's so thick-headed," Andrea said, rolling her eyes.

"Tell me about it. Well, you have a good night," Kate said as she walked out of the locker room. She went left down the hall, then right. That led her out onto "the floor." "The floor" was an open workspace. Individual workstations were set up here and there. This is where the agency's best computer and desk operatives worked. The IT workers were downstairs. The director had an office upstairs along with some of the other executive workers.

Kate made her way to the workstation and sat down. There was a Post-it note stuck to her monitor. She read over the note as she turned on the monitor and computer. She pulled off the note, crumpled it up, and threw it in the trash bin. She stood up and walked upstairs to the director's office. She admired that office. Three of the four walls were glass so that the director could watch what was happening on "the floor." In the middle of the room was a large desk black as obsidian. Behind the desk was a comfortable office chair. In front of the desk were two chairs. Against the back wall – the only wall that wasn't glass – was a large bookshelf. It contained volumes upon volumes of books on history, politics, and government. The room just radiated power, control, and confidence. Printed in white on the glass door was: Ryan Albright. Beneath it read: Director.

Kate pushed the door open. "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, yes, come in."

Kate stepped into the office and closed the door behind her.

"I'm making an adjustment to your field shift."

"Finally!"

"You're going to work eight hours in the field and four hours in the office."

"What?! I thought you were going to cut down my time in the field!"

"You know I can't do that."

Kate let out a frustrated sigh. "You said that you'd cut down my hours in the field."

"I know, but I told you I couldn't make any promises. We need you in the field."

"No, you don't. You've got plenty of great field agents here. They're more experienced than I am. They're older than I am."

"But you're better than them," Ryan argued.

Kate lowered her voice so only the director could hear her. "You know I'm just a kid. I shouldn't be doing this."

"I could say the same for two people named Daniel Walker and Alex Rider."

"So if they commit suicide, I should too?"

"Kate-"

"The more I'm in the field, the more chance there is for me to get killed. I came to this agency for a reason. And you, of all people, know very well why I came here."

"I'm sorry, I really am, but we really need in the field. You're our best field agent. You're a teenager, so you're unexpected. I really don't like doing this to you, but I have to do what's in the best interest of the agency."

"That's what they all say," Kate said, frustrated. She left the office and went back down to her station. There wasn't any work on her desk, so she signed onto AOL instant messenger. She needed to talk to someone her age before she exploded. She frowned when she found that none of her few friends were online. She sat back in her chair, feeling defeated. Just then, a message popped up on her screen. Kate sat up quickly and read the message. Soccerboy17's message read: _I'm so desperate for someone to talk to._

Kate stared at the message. Who was this? She took a few minutes to think about whether or not to reply. Finally, she placed her fingers on the keyboard and began typing her reply message.

_Desperate, huh? What's your name?_

_That's not important. I'm just soccerboy17. Who are you, anyway?_

_That's not important,_ Kate replied. _I'm just sniper82._

_Sniper82…that's a strange screen name,_ soccerboy17 said. _Where did that come from?_

_I always wanted to be a sniper for the military,_ Kate said, typing the first idea that popped into her head. She really couldn't tell total strangers that she actually _was_ a sniper.

_Are you sure? The government can get pretty nasty. They just use you until you're all used up._

Kate sat back and thought for a moment. _How do you know so much about government treatment?_

_My brother is in the military. He says it's hell._

_Maybe to him it is. So, how old are you?_

_Seventeen. You?_

Kate thought for a moment. Should she tell him the truth? _I'm nineteen._

_Nationality? I'm British._

_Cool, me too._

Kate spent the next hour and a half messaging this mysterious soccerboy17. She was curious to find out who he was. She was very careful about who she met and talked to. That was how she had been trained. But soccerboy17 wouldn't give her the information she wanted. No matter – Kate could trace his IP address, find his computer, and find out his identity. Then she could look up his files. Then the mystery would disappear. Kate smiled to herself. With all the access and ability she had in this agency, she felt powerful. And for being only "twenty-one," she had a very high status in the agency. Kate ran a trace on soccerboy17. Within five minutes, she would have her results. She would know the boy's name and where he lived. Then she could run a background check on him. Meanwhile, she kept busy with some chitchat.

_So I assume you play soccer?_ Kate said.

_Yeah. Okay, I need to ask something. For the past hour and a half, I've been wondering if you're a guy or a girl. Which one are you?_

Kate nearly laughed. She thought of something she could say to really mess with the guy's head. _No, that'd be mean,_ she told herself. _Mean, but funny…_

_Does it really matter?_ Kate finally replied.

_I don't know. Just curious._

_Tell me something about you, and I'll tell you something about me._

_Sure,_ soccerboy17 said, accepting the deal.

The trace finished. The IP address belonged to a computer registered in Chelsea, London. Kate smiled. She liked Chelsea. It was a nice place. It was busy with city life, yet still quiet. Kate looked up the name of the boy. Her teal eyes widened.

* * *

Alex wasn't really sure what to say. _I live in London,_ he finally said.

_Where in London?_ sniper82 asked.

Should Alex tell the truth? He didn't even know if sniper82 was a guy or a girl. His uncle had always taught him to be careful. But right now, he really didn't care.

_I live in Chelsea._

_Nice place. I used to live there._

_So, what about you?_

_What about me?_

_Guy or girl?_

_I haven't been a girl for a while._

"What?!" Alex cried out loud. What kind of answer was that?!

_What do you mean by that?_

_Well, nineteen is a little too old to be considered a girl, don't you think?_

_So you're a girl?_ Alex confirmed.

_Yeah._

* * *

Kate smiled. _I haven't been a girl for a while._ What a great line. She tried to imagine in her mind what his face might have looked like. Kate's desk phone rang. She picked it up.

"Cameron."

"I want you to look up a profile," Ryan said.

"Sure. Who is it?"

"Malcolm Hughes."

Kate searched all of the agency's databases for Malcolm Hughes. She quickly scanned over all his files. He seemed like an ordinary person. Then she found something odd. He had just received fifty thousand dollars from someone a couple days ago. Kate traced the money back to an account owned by someone by the name of Daisuke Takahashi. He was on the wanted list of the agency.

"It looks bad," Kate said.

"Why?" Ryan asked.

"This guy is associated with Daisuke Takahashi who just paid Malcolm Hughes fifty grand."

"Alright, find out what he's doing with Takahashi."

Kate hung up. She didn't need to find out how Hughes and Takahashi were associated. She already knew. She took a deep breath. She had to break a few protocol rules. She had to warn him.

* * *

_Are you still there?_ Alex typed. He waited for about five minutes. When she didn't answer, he decided to give up. But then sniper82 finally sent a message.

_You're in danger._ Then she signed off.


	10. Trust Me

That night, Alex sat in his room, trying to make sense of the message from sniper82. _You're in danger._ Being in danger was nothing new to Alex, but how did this total stranger know? Alex then realized how little he knew about this sniper82. She was nineteen, British, used to live in Chelsea, and wants to be a military sniper. And how could Alex know all that was even true?

Alex looked over at his clock. It was 9:55. Jack should be home soon. Alex envied her. She had gone out with someone named Greg. She didn't have to be alone on a Saturday night. Alex could have gone out with Emily tonight, but he knew he had to stop seeing her. Then the door opened down stairs. Alex left his room and went down the steps. The front door hung wide open. There was no one around. Alex stepped outside into the darkness. The streets were empty. Jack's car wasn't back in the driveway.

Someone jumped out of nowhere and grabbed Alex by his throat, pushing him back inside the house. The door slammed shut. Before Alex could comprehend his situation, he was lying on his face with his arms pinned behind his back. Another person walked out of the kitchen. Alex forced his face upward so he could see. The barrel of a gun was pushed into the back of his head.

"Don't kill him," Daisuke said. "Not yet. Tie him up. Then put him in the basement."

Alex's arms and legs were bound. He was heaved up and carried down to the basement. He was thrown down on the hard floor. Stars exploded in his eyes when his head hit the floor. Whoever had attacked him left the basement and closed the door. Alex couldn't believe he was being held prisoner in the darkness of his own basement. He lay in silence for a few minutes, letting his eyes adjust to the dark. Soon enough, he could make out the dim shapes of boxes stacked on top of each other. He had to find a way out. That shouldn't be too hard. Besides, it was _his_ house. Alex sat up and began to think. What was in his basement that he could use to get out?

Daisuke and Hughes sat in the kitchen of the Rider house, drinking beer. Daisuke smiled to himself, proud of the extravagant plot he had twisted together. All he had to do now was wait for Emily to arrive. Then he could carry out the next part of the plan. About ten minutes later, the door opened. Daisuke didn't bother to get up. He waited for Emily to walk into the kitchen with a silver briefcase in her hand.

"Where's Alex?" she asked.

"In the basement."

Emily handed Daisuke the briefcase and sat down at the table beside her father. Daisuke offered her a beer, but she refused.

"Do Nick and your mother know where you are?" Hughes asked.

Emily shook her head. "I slipped them sleeping pills. They won't wake until morning."

"Good."

Daisuke went down to the basement with the briefcase in hand. He flipped on the light switch and walked down the steps. At the bottom of the steps, a cardboard box fell over his head. He dropped the briefcase and flailed to get the box off him. Alex tackled him to the floor. Daisuke groped for the gun holstered to his hip. Alex knocked the weapon from his hand and punched him in the face. Daisuke finally managed to get the box off of him. He threw his fist into the side of Alex's head repeatedly. It only took three punches to knock the boy out cold. Daisuke stood up and picked up his gun. He put it back into its holster. Then he dragged Alex up into a chair. He tied Alex's wrists behind the back of the chair. Then he tied the boy's ankles to the legs of the chair. He opened the briefcase and took out a small white stick. He cracked it under Alex's nose. Alex gagged and coughed as he woke up.

"What do you want with me?" he gasped.

"Camryn. Where is she?"

"I told you, she's dead."

"Alex, don't lie to me. If you don't cooperate with me, I can make you a very miserable boy."

"I'm already miserable, thanks."

"I have proof that your little wench is still alive. You're going to tell me where she is."

"Why are you so obsessed with finding Camryn?" Alex demanded angrily.

Daisuke pulled a folder of papers out of the briefcase. He pulled one out and showed it to Alex. It was a satellite photograph. Alex studied the girl in the photograph. She had a beautiful face framed by blonde hair. Her shimmering silver eyes looked wary and paranoid. It was, without a doubt, Camryn. She had died her hair. There was a twinge of chestnut at the roots of her blonde hair. Alex's heart went wild, and his mind raced. How could this be possible? He had _seen_ Camryn die. But it was Camryn in the picture. Tears filled Alex's eyes. How could she be alive all this time without Alex's knowing? She lied to him. She left him. She, in a sense, betrayed him.

"She left you, Alex."

"No…" Alex croaked. Tears began streaming down his face. "No…"

"I know it's hard to believe. You thought she loved you. She deceived you. She betrayed you. She lied to you all this time."

"No," Alex sobbed. "She's trying to protect me."

"That's what you think."

"Shut up!"

"Where is she, Alex? I know that you know."

"I don't know!" Alex protested.

The basement door opened. Footsteps came down the stairs. Alex looked up. His insides twisted. He felt sick.

"We found her," Emily said.

Daisuke smiled. "Good. Looks like we won't be needing you, Alex."

That could only mean one thing.

"Kill him. Slowly," Daisuke said as he walked passed Emily. Once he was gone, Emily came to stand before Alex.

Alex looked up at her. He was shocked, sad, angry, and confused. "I can't believe you," Alex said quietly, turning his serious brown eyes to the floor.

* * *

Kate was back in the locker room, changing into navy mesh shorts, sneakers, and a dark gray T-shirt. Once she finished changing, she went downstairs to the arsenal. She grabbed a gray backpack and began picking out weapons. She took a McMillan TAC-50 long-range sniper rifle, and two Glock handguns. She threw the weapons into the backpack and turned to leave the arsenal.

"Where are you going?"

Kate ran head on into Cade Thompson and squealed. "God, Cade! You scared me! Don't ever do that again!"

Cade smiled. "Sorry." He put his arms around Kate and kissed her.

"Stop it, Cade."

"Why? Am I being unprofessional?" Cade mocked playfully.

Kate smiled at his remark and kissed him. Cade was twenty-one, dark-haired, and gorgeous. Many women in the agency had flirted with Cade at least once, trying to get his attention. But Kate was the only one who attracted the gaze of his blue eyes.

"I thought you were finished with your field shift," Cade said.

"I am, but I'm going back out. Alex Rider-"

"Not him again! I swear, Kate, you've got a thing for this boy."

"No, I don't," Kate denied. "Look, I have to go."

"You're always running off to somewhere. What _do_ you do in the field anyway? What's going on with you and Alex Rider?"

"Nothing. Cade, I was assigned this case. I'm sorry you don't like it. You need to trust me."

* * *

Emily leaned over and whispered into Alex's ear. "I'm going to get you out of here."

"Once we're out, you're going to kill me anyway, right?" Alex asked.

"Alex-"

"Look, I'm sorry I said 'no' to you, but I did it for a reason. I didn't want to."

"I know. I found out what my dad's been doing with Daisuke. I only got involved so I could get you out of this."

Alex looked up at Emily again.

"Alex, I know this looks bad, but I'm really trying to help you. Please, you need to trust me."


	11. Torture & Lies

Kate drove across Albert Bridge into Chelsea. Her face was still flushed from her argument with Cade. Their month-long relationship ended so abruptly over something stupid.

_He's not worth it,_ Kate told herself. She couldn't date someone so jealous.

Kate's cell phone rang. "Cameron."

"Kate, why aren't you at your workstation?" Ryan asked.

"I'm following a lead."

"What lead? You didn't tell me."

"Alex Rider is in danger. I need to make sure he isn't killed."

"You've been putting a lot of work into this case. Cade is getting upset over it. He told me about your leaving."

"I don't care. We broke up anyway. Besides, you know why I took this case."

"Yes, but I think you should leave things alone."

"I can't."

"Kate, just come back to base."

"I can't. I'm following this one through. I'm going dark."

Kate hung up and attached a signal scrambler to her phone. She parked her car in front of an apartment complex. She took her backpack and went inside. Once inside, she climbed the stairwell up to the roof. She took her laptop from the backpack and turned it on. While she waited for it to boot up, she set up the McMillan TAC-50 rifle. She streamed feeds from satellites aimed at Chelsea. She found Alex's house in the feeds and zoomed in. There were two figures in the kitchen – Hughes and Takahashi. Then Kate dialed a number into her phone.

"Walker."

"Dan, are you in position?"

"Yeah. Let's do this."

"On my signal."

Kate hung up and looked through the night vision scope of her rifle. There they were – Hughes and Takahashi. Kate steadied the rifle and took aim. She pulled the trigger.

* * *

A gunshot rang out above. Alex recognized the sound of a sniper rifle. Emily pulled a pocketknife out of her pocket and cut the ropes binding Alex to the chair.

"Let's go," she said.

She and Alex ran up the stairs. They crept passed the kitchen when more gunfire erupted. They ran for the backdoor and escaped into the cool summer night. Alex spotted Dan's car sitting on his driveway. Why was Dan at Alex's house? Was he the one who had fired the gun?

Emily and Alex ran down the streets until they were finally at a safe distance. The two hid in an old warehouse.

"Is it safe in here?" Alex asked.

"I think. I hope so."

Something struck the back of Alex's head. The world went dark and silent.

* * *

Kate's cell phone rang again. "Dan, what's going on?"

"We got Hughes. Takahashi's gone."

"Did you search the whole house?"

"Yeah. I can't find Rider either."

"What?"

"Check earlier satellite feeds. Find out if anyone else came into the house besides Hughes, Takahashi, and Rider."

Kate went to her laptop and looked at the older feeds. At 10:06, a girl walked into the house. Kate checked the most recent feeds. She saw the girl running out the back of the house with Alex.

"Kate?"

"I think I found them. Alex is with a girl."

Kate froze the satellite feed. She enhanced the image and ran it through recognition software.

"Who's the girl?" Dan asked.

"Emily Hughes."

"What's she doing with Rider?"

"I don't know."

Suddenly, the cold barrel of a gun touched Kate's neck.

"Put down the phone."

"Where is Rider going?" Dan asked.

Kate didn't move. She didn't speak.

"Put the phone down, or I will shoot you."

"Kate?"

Kate slowly lowered the phone down to the floor.

"Now turn around slowly."

Kate obeyed. She found herself face to face with Daisuke Takahashi. _I found Takahashi_, Kate thought.

* * *

Alex woke up with a pounding headache. He tried to move, but found that he had been bound again. His wrists were tied around the back of the chair. His ankles were tied to the legs of the chair. He began to panic. Where was Emily? Was she okay? Alex closed his eyes to clear his vision. When he opened them again, Emily stood before him.

"Emily, what's going-" Alex didn't need to ask anymore. He realized he had fallen into a trap. "Oh no, God, no."

"I'm sorry, Alex."

"Emily, don't do this. Please. I'm sorry for hurting you. I-"

Emily slapped him. "I should have gagged you. But I didn't for a reason."

"What?"

Emily flipped open her pocketknife. Alex stared at the blade in horror. He knew what was coming.

"Oh God…"

"That's right. I want to hear you scream."

"You lied to me. You said you weren't going to kill me."

"Oh, I wasn't lying, Alex. I'm not going to kill you. I'm going to do something much worse." Emily lifted up Alex's shirt.

"What are you going to do?"

Emily smirked. "Hm…maybe I should tell you first. It'll make it all the more painful." She straddled Alex's lap. "I'm going to carve my name into your chest. Emily Annelise Hughes. I'm going to make sure it's a name you'll never forget. You're going to feel the hurt that I felt when you walked away from me."

"Emily, I told you I didn't want to. I do want to have a relationship with you, but I can't. There are people who want to hurt me. I can't risk anyone hurting you to get to me."

"Say what you want to, Alex. It won't stop me."

"Emily, please."

"The only way to stop me is to kill me." Emily leaned closer to Alex so that her lips hovered over his. "And no one knows where we are." She kissed Alex slowly. Then she pressed the blade of her pocketknife to his skin.

"Emily, don't."

Emily pushed the blade through Alex's skin and began carving an "E."

* * *

"Who are you?" Daisuke demanded.

"What is it to you?"

Daisuke grabbed Kate by her shirt and hauled her up. "Who are you? Don't make me ask again."

"You don't need to."

Kate knocked the gun from Daisuke's hand and kneed him in the stomach. Daisuke retaliated by sweeping Kate off her feet and kicking her in the ribs. Kate grabbed his ankle and shoved him off balance. She scrambled to her feet and followed up with a fist in his face.

"Hasn't your mother ever told you not to hit girls?" Kate sent a sidekick toward Daisuke's stomach, but the attack was blocked. Daisuke grabbed her foot and flipped her onto the floor. He sat on her hips and grabbed her throat.

"You're a little too old to be called a girl, don't you think?"

Kate punched the side of the man's head, but he didn't falter. He tightened his grip on her throat. She hit him again and again, but it didn't do any good. She was too tense to do any effective fighting. She tried to calm herself a little so she could think. She thrust her fingers into the Japanese rogue's eyes. He cried out in pain and released her. Kate shoved him off and scrambled for her backpack. She reached inside and grabbed a Glock. Daisuke kicked her hand, sending the backpack and the gun sliding across the roof. Kate twisted her body, wrapped her leg around the back of Daisuke's neck, and slammed his head into the floor. Daisuke rammed his elbow into her stomach. He shoved her down and sat on her legs, pinning her arms to the floor.

"You really piss me off, bitch," Daisuke growled.

"Back at you."

"Before I take your life, I'm going to take something else of yours too."

"What?"

"I think you know…Camryn."


	12. Scars

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kate hissed. "I'm not Camryn."

"If I remember correctly, you're still a virgin," Daisuke said, his black eyes gleaming with deluded craze.

"Get off me!"

Kate writhed and twisted, trying hopelessly to get free.

"The more you struggle, the more satisfying it'll be."

"You bastard!"

Daisuke struck Kate's neck. She gasped, and then lights out. Daisuke smirked. He'd been waiting for this for a long time.

"Alright, you've got two seconds to get off of her, or I'll kill you."

Daisuke looked up. A handsome, fair-haired boy stood less than ten feet away. His blue eyes glittered with vengeance. He stared down the barrel of a Glock pointed at Daisuke's forehead.

"Time's up."

* * *

Alex screamed as the knife was dragged across his skin, leaving crimson, bleeding lines. Blood trickled down his chest as Emily began working on the letter "M." He writhed in pain as the blade cut him again.

"It'll hurt less if you stay still," Emily advised. She kissed him again.

Alex turned his face away. "Don't," he panted. "You're torturing me enough."

"No, not enough yet. It'll be enough when you beg me to kill you."

"Never," Alex growled.

Emily chuckled. "Typical answer for a spy."

Alex gaped at her. "What – but…how-"

Emily smiled and kissed him again. "That's right, Alex. I know your little secret." She slowly made three more cuts, completing the "M." Alex continued to scream in pain. He couldn't control it. He'd been in pain before, but he'd never experienced pain like this. Alex's heart was broken. He had been betrayed. That increased the physical pain tenfold.

"Emily, stop, please."

"No." Emily put her arms around Alex's neck. "Tell me you want to die," she murmured. Then she kissed him.

* * *

Dan cracked a stick of ammonium salt under Kate's nose. She gagged, coughed, and sputtered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Dan! Where's Takahashi?!"

"Relax. I took care of him."

Kate took in deep breaths, trying to calm down. She leaned on Dan's shoulder and began crying.

"Kate-"

"He was going to rape me," she sobbed.

"It's okay. I stopped him. You're fine." Dan held Kate to his chest and stroked her shoulder. "You're okay."

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Look, Rider's still in trouble. We have to find him."

Kate nodded and slowly stood up. Dan took Kate's rifle, gun, phone, and laptop and put them into the backpack. He put his arm around Kate's shoulder. The two ran down the steps and out of the apartment complex to Dan's car. Dan floored the accelerator and tore of down the dark streets.

"Do you know where Alex is?" Kate asked.

"Yeah. He's in an abandoned warehouse."

"How far away are we?"

"Not far." A moment later, Dan stopped the car at the side of the road. "The warehouse is a block away."

He reached into the backpack and handed Kate one of the Glocks. The two got out of the car and ran toward the warehouse. They heard screams coming from inside. They could hear them all the way out in the parking lot of the warehouse. They stopped outside the door.

"If we go in this way, she'll know we're here, and she might kill Rider," Dan said. "We need to find another way in."

Kate looked around for another door. She and Dan circled the building, looking for alternative doors. All the other doors were locked. They had to find something fast. Hearing Alex suffering and screaming was disturbing and sickening. Then Kate spotted a broken window.

"Dan, get me through that window."

"Okay."

Kate backed up about fifteen feet. She ran toward Dan who was kneeling on the ground with his hands in front of him, palms up. He grabbed her feet and hoisted her up toward the window. Kate flew into the window and landed as softly as she could inside. Alex's screams were louder now than ever. The air smelled of blood. Kate thought she would be sick. She found the stairs and went down. There was a door that had been locked from the outside. Maybe it would open from the inside. She tried it, and it opened. Dan came inside the warehouse and shut the door quietly.

"You get Hughes; I'll get Rider," Dan said. The two headed off, following the sound of Alex's screaming voice. In the main chamber, Alex sat bound to a metal chair. Emily Hughes sat on his lap, cutting his chest with a pocketknife. Kate wanted to look away, but she had to keep her eyes on her target. She could feel her intestines twist. Her stomach squirmed. She was going to be sick. Kate collapsed to her knees and vomited. Luckily, Alex's screaming was so loud that Emily hadn't noticed. Dan grabbed Kate's arms and pulled her up. He signaled for her to go around and attack Emily from the left side at her blind spot. As Kate moved into position, Dan moved closer to Emily and Alex so he could make a quick rescue. Then the three of them could get out and put this night into the past. Dan signaled to Kate that he was in position. Kate aimed the gun, but she couldn't shoot. Her hands were shaking so much. Alex was covered in blood. So much blood… Kate was going to be sick again. She collapsed and vomited again. This time, Emily snapped her head around and spotted Kate kneeling on the floor.

"Looks like I'm going to have to kill you know," Emily said to Alex. "What a shame. I was having fun." She raised the knife and brought it down as hard as she could.

Kate scrambled to one knee, aimed, and fired. The bullet struck Emily's temple, sending her body jerking toward the right. She slumped and fell off Alex's lap. Dan ran out into the center of the chamber and untied Alex. Kate ran from her position over to Alex and Dan.

"Get me out of here, please," Alex rasped.

"That's the plan," Dan replied, pulling Alex's shirt down over his chest to cover the wound. The blood soaked through immediately. The wounds would leave horrible scars. Displayed on Alex's chest in crimson was EMILY, carved in crude letters. It was a name Alex would never forget.


	13. Blown Over

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my stories ****(especially Deadly-Flame)****. It's been a great help to know what you guys think. A lot of people have been wondering if Kate is really Camryn. Well, I'll just leave that for you to decide. Sorry this is so inconclusive.  
**

* * *

Alex was back home on Wednesday. Jack had come back to the house to find Hughes dead in their kitchen. She had called the police. Now the incident was all cleared up. The only things that remained were the memories and the scars on Alex's chest. Alex sat in the living room across from Kate and Dan. There were so many questions he wanted to ask. 

"Who are you two working for?"

Dan and Kate looked at each other. "Can't tell you," Dan answered.

"Okay, then who are you?" Alex asked Kate.

"I'm Kate Cameron. You might know me as sniper82."

"That's _you_?!"

"Yeah."

"Daisuke kept asking me where Camryn was. She's dead. At least I think… I don't know anymore."

"She's dead," Kate said.

"How can you be sure?"

"I was on the team that cleaned up the situation in Chechnya."

Alex took the silver ring out his pocket. "How did this turn up?" He handed the ring to Kate.

Kate inspected the ring, then handed it back. "I found it in the remains of the building. I cleaned it up and gave it to Tim Burton. He was supposed to get it to you."

"How did you know to give it to me?"

"We have ways of getting information about things."

"Who's 'we?'"

"The agency Kate and I work for," Dan chimed in.

"So, what did Daisuke want with me? Did he think Camryn was still alive?" Alex asked.

"No," Kate said. "He wanted to torment you by making you think Camryn was alive. You know he had a thing for her."

"Yeah. Creep… What about Malcolm Hughes?"

"Takahashi paid him to help," Dan said.

"And Emily?"

"She was just angry. She found out about her father's plans and decided to chip in."

Alex put his face in his hands. "It just gets worse and worse."

"I'm sorry about this whole mess," Kate said.

"Forget it," Alex muttered. "I'll be okay. So what's going to happen now?"

"You're just going to go back to your normal life," Dan answered.

"I didn't have a normal life to begin with."

"We're just going to put this behind us," Kate said. "It'll be hard to forget, but I think you'll be alright."

Alex sighed. "Probably. The whole thing's blown over now."

"Alex, Kate and I need to get back to headquarters. We've got mounds of paperwork to tackle." Dan scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Alex. "That's mine and Kate's cell phone numbers. Call if you want to talk or ask any more questions. Good luck to you, Alex."

"Maybe we'll meet again," Kate said.

"Yeah, maybe," Alex said. The three stood up and headed to the door. Alex saw Kate and Dan out of the house. Alex closed the door and sighed. The past two weeks had been filled with lies. It was almost like a game to everyone else, and Alex was the victim.

* * *

"I'm not looking forward to all this paperwork," Kate complained as she and Dan entered headquarters. 

"If we work together, we'll get it done faster."

"Sure. Sounds good."

Dan stopped walking and pulled Kate into his arms. He brushed her auburn hair behind her ear and kissed her.

"Don't," Kate protested.

"Why not?"

"I don't believe in going back to old boyfriends."

"Oh, really?" Dan challenged. "What about Alex? Would you date him again?"

Dan kissed her again. This time, she let him.


End file.
